VFK Snowflake Quest! (2019)
The VFK Snowflake Quest is a weekly quest that appeared on VFK. Description You may have heard the expression that no two snowflakes are alike. Given the enormous amount of individual snowflakes in even a small storm and also that snowflakes are all based on a similar crystalline structure, is that likely? Well, interestingly enough, even though snowflakes are essentially the same, each flake is a one of a kind masterpiece with its own unique path from the cloud to the ground. Scientists have studied these tiny crystals and they continue to study the mechanics of their formation. On today's quest, dress warmly, pick up your magnifying glass, and let's go to a snowy place and examine the beautiful snowflake! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Snowflake Collection! Reward * Floating Snowflake - I * Floating Snowflake - II * Floating Snowflake - III * 1,000 Credits Questions and Answers # The poet Claude McKay described snowflakes as "Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky." Even though snowflakes inspire all sorts of fanciful ideas about what they are made of, underneath their fairy-tale exterior, they are just snow crystals made of ice and very little else. The crystalline structure of ice is a basic hexagonal lattice and all snowflakes will be some variation of this simple hexagonal matrix. What is the most basic form of a snow crystal? #* Rhombic prism #* Hexagonal prism #* Triclinic cyrstal #* Cubic crystal # This basic form of a snowflake is comprised of two hexagonal "basal" faces, and six rectangular prism faces. Its shape ranged from long and columnar, to flat and more plate like. Its ultimate shape depends on the conditions it experiences as it grows and which of the crystal faces develops the quickest. Most snowflakes start out simply in their basic six sided form, and then develop into some amazingly elaborate shapes. Go to Audubon's Dark Forest in Western Age and say: "Let it snow!" # The life of a snowflake is fascinating. It starts out as water vapor in the atmosphere, then cools into tiny super-cooled cloud droplets. These drops freeze and then grow into their basic hexagonal prism shapes. As each crystal grows, it decides what shape it will take based on the weather. The crystal edges may sprout branching arms or any number of complex shapes based on the basic hexagonal form. What condition in the cloud does ice crystal growth depend strongly upon? #* Temperature #* Humidity #* Pressure #* All of the above # As the snow crystal is swirled around in the cloud, it circulates, becoming exposed to a range of temperatures and differing amounts of water vapor. The crystal arms all grow in similar conditions which cause the arms to develop identically. This gives them a largely symmetrical shape that can become exceedingly complex. Go to the Medieval Blacksmith's in Medieval Age and say: "Blizzard time!" # Even though snowflakes are short lived, many people have photographed snow crystals. One of the most renowned of these was Wilson Bentley, an American farmer and photomicrographer. Bentley photographed over 5,000 snowflakes! He published over 2,000 of his photographs in his 1931 book called "Snow Crystals." Because snowflakes come in many different types, in order to discuss them, they need to have names. What is the system used to classify snowflakes? #* International Classification System #* Nakaya's Classification #* Magono and Lee's Classification #* All of the above # In 1951, the International Commission on Snow and Ice developed a simple classification system for frozen precipitation. The system is widely used, and includes ice pellets, graupel and hail. It divides snow crystals into seven basic types: plates, columns, stellar crystals, needles, spatial dendrites, capped columns, and irregular forms. Go to Stonehenge in Medieval Age and say: "Drifting snow!" # A physicist named Ukichiro Nakaya was the first person to systematically study snow crystals. He grew them in a laboratory and in 1954, devised a systematic classification methodology for snowflakes which divided falling snow into 41 types. The meteorologists, Magono and Lee, built on Nakaya's classification scheme and extended it. They published their own classification in 1966. How many different snow crystal types does their table include? #* 80 #* 57 #* 75 #* 41 # If you examine a snowflake and you will see intricate branching structures. These branches are made by water condensing onto a growing ice crystal. If there is a small bump, water molecules will grow on the bump making it stick out even further. This progression is called "branching instability" which is primarily responsible for the complexity of snow crystals. Go to the Front of the Zoo in Australia and say: "Frost fairies!" # An ice dendrite is created when the branching instability process happens over and over on a growing ice crystal. One important element in the branching of ice crystals is air pressure. Lower air pressure produces snowflakes with fewer branches, while higher pressures produce more branches. Beautiful snowflakes are restricted to nature. Man-made snow is comprised only of frozen water droplets with no branching or crystal structure. What does the word dendrite mean? #* Honeycomb-like #* Tree-like #* Rock-like #* Tooth-like # Snowflake watching is a fun passtivme, for many in the winter. To snowflake watch, you need a magnifying glass. Be sure to carry your magnifying glass with you so that you are ready on a good snow day. Not all snow brings great snowflakes, but when a likely looking snowflake has landed just take out your magnifying lens and take a look. Go to the Corner of Balta Street in Victorian Age and say: "Snow angels!" Top 30 Finishers The first 30 to finish with the fastest times: Category:Weekly Quest